North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Prepares for Showdown With Terrapins
1/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Game Notes in PDF Format
NC State women's basketball will have its fourth opportunity to earn its third upset of the season when it travels to College Park, Md. to face the No. 16 ranked Maryland Terrapins on Sunday, Jan. 23. The Wolfpack is 14-4 and 3-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play after knocking off Miami at home, 73-59 on Thursday. Maryland is 13-3 and 3-2 in the ACC, but has a nine-game win streak at home on the line. Entering the 68th all-time meeting with the Terrapins, NC State leads the all-time series 39-28. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports South with Mike Hogewood and Debbie Antonelli. The game can also be heard on the Wolfpack-Capitol Sports Radio Network -- 4 Stations (WKNC- 88.1 FM Flagship, WFAY 1230 AM), WZAX 99.7 and WNMX 106.1 in Charlotte) also ACC games are live on XM Radio - satellite radio. Coverage begins 15 minutes prior to tip-off, which is 7:06 p.m. Patrick Kinas and Kerby Court will provide the action.
NC State is coming off a come-from-behind victory over Miami on Thursday night, 73-59. The win welcomed head coach Kay Yow back to the bench after her eight-day absence. The Wolfpack has won its last two games and will be looking to earn its second spoiler game within a week. NC State defeated No. 23 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Monday. Additionally, NC State has ended two home streaks this season for its opponents. The Pack put a stop to Virginia Tech's six-game winning streak on its home court. Prior to that, NC State clipped a Vanderbilt 43-game win streak at home in non-conference games. When NC State travels to Maryland on Sunday it will have a third opportunity to be a spoiler and end the Terrapins' nine-game home winning streak.
Billie McDowell leads the team with an average of 16.4 ppg in the five ACC games. She has posted solid numbers, including three games of 20+ points. She hit a career-high 27 in the Wake Forest win, 20 against North Carolina and 23 against Miami recently. Additionally, she has reached double figures in all but one ACC game, NC State's loss at Clemson. In the last three games, NC State has outscored the bench of its opponents, 76-53. That amount includes a 30-8 advantage over North Carolina. Freshman Khadijah Whittington has helped that number significantly. In those three games, she has tallied 40 points, or an average of 13.3 ppg in 74 total minutes, or an average of 24.7 minutes a game. Junior center Tiffany Stansbury continues to remain on top for her overall offensive output. She is adding 11.1 points per game, while maintaining her advantage in the rebounding column as well. The Philly native is averaging 7.1 rebounds a game.
Maryland has been ranked in the Top 25 all season and is currently 16th in the AP poll and 18th in the coaches poll. The Terps posted a season winning streak of eight games midway through the year, but have since gone 3-2 in the last five games, including two losses at the hands of then unranked teams, Virginia Tech and Florida State. Maryland has won all nine of its home games this season and extended that with a 63-60 win over Virginia on Jan. 20. Sophomore guard Shay Doron has been averaging 28.4 ppg in ACC contests. She led the Terrapins with 37 points in the overtime loss at Florida State on Jan. 16 and had a school record 39 points in the upset victory over then No. 4 North Carolina in College Park, on Jan. 9. Freshman forward Laura Harper led the team in rebounding until she was forced to the sidelines with an achilles injury. She played just nine games. However, another freshman, Crystal Langhorne has taken over boarding duties. She has a team-high 8.5 rpg, while adding a second-best 16.3 ppg. Senior guard Ashleigh Smith has dished out a season-best 105 total assists, or an average of 6.6 per game.
Maryland head coach Brenda Frese is 41-34 (.547) in three seasons with the Terps. She spent three years with Minnesota prior to her arrival in College Park and owns a six-year career record of 93-64 (.592). This will be the fifth meeting between Yow and Frese and the record is even at 2-2. Yow does lead the series with Maryland, 39-28.
Entering the 68th all-time meeting with the Terrapins, NC State leads the all-time series 39-28. Last win over Maryland was at home on Jan. 25, 2004, 61-45 ... NC State has lost its last two games in the Comcast Center ... The Pack fell 68-56 last year on Jan. 2 and lost in overtime, 74-72 back on Feb. 1, 2003 ... NC State and Maryland will meet for the 68th time since their first game on Feb. 6, 1976.
-PACK-
